Eduard wbsteemater



model.) V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. WESTERMAYER. Piano Action.

No. 229,066. Patented June 22,1880.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Model.)

B. WESTERMAYER. Piano Action.

No. 229,066. Patented June 22,1880

NPETERS, PHOTOLH'HOGR AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA C.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

EDUARD WVESTERMAYER, OF BERLIN, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,066, dated June 22, 1880, Application filed March 1,1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDUARD WESTERMAYER, resident of Berlin, Prussia, Empire of Ger many, have invented new and useful Improvemen is in Piano-Actions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in piano-actions adapted to be applied to square and upright pianos and to pianinos, and has for its object to make such actions more sensitive, so that they will answer to the slightest touch of the key, and thereby avoid undue fatigue in playing by avoiding all frictional contact between the parts, whereby the usually rapid wear of the mechanism is also avoided.

The further object of the invention is to simplify the mechanism by lessening its parts, and thereby considerably reducing the cost of manufacture; and to that end the invention consists in a novel arrangement of mechanism arranged to apply the lifting power of the key upon both sides of the ham mer-fulcru in through the medium of thejack and a yielding or flexible connection connected with a pivoted lever.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the pivoted lever that supports thejack and the flexible connection between said lever and the hammer, of an adjustable spring applied and designed to support the weight of the hammer when about to and while completing its stroke, and serving as a repetition-spring and the invention further consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of said parts and their combination with each other and with the hammer and key, ll as hereinafter more fully described, and hown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 represent apiano-action for square pianos embodying my invention, and showing, respectively, the hammer at rest and about to complete its stroke; and Figs. 3 and at are like views of a piano-action for upright pianos embodying my invention.

In the accompanying drawings like letters of reference are employed to indicate like parts wherever such may occur.

H represents the hammer, pivoted upon an arm, 7t, secured to the hammer-railH, and K is the key, pivoted in the usual manner and carrying a lifting-lever, k, the button it of which may be adjusted vertically by means of the setscrew is". J is the jack, having its rear face made angular, as shown, and is pivoted upon the forward end'of a lever,-L, restin upon the button lcof the liftinglever k. The lever L is pivoted centrally upon an arm or bracket, 1, secured to the hammer-rail H, from which said arm depends.

The rear end of the lever L carries a slotted button or bracket, Z, through which passes the repetition-spring S, one end of which is provided with an arm, 8, or an extension projecting upwardly from its point of attachment s upon the lever L, upon which extension or arm 8 bears a set-screw, s, by means of which the tension of the repetition-spring is regulated. To the outer hooked and free end of the spring S is attached one end of a cord, 0, the other end of which is attached to an arm, A, extend in g rearward from the hammer-butt and forming practically an extension of the hammerrod upon that side of the fulcrum opposite to where the usual lifting-power is applied to said rod.

B is a button against which the repetitionspring S abuts when arrived at the limit ofits downward motion with the lever L, and is made adjustable to regulate said motion.

It will be seen that when the key is depressed the lifter It will elevate the forward end of the lever L, together with the jack J, that elevates the hammer in the usual manner. The rear end of the lever, being depressed simultaneously with the elevation of the forward end of said lever, will cause the repetition-spring to exert its power upon the cord O and depress the hammer-butt to assist the jack in lifting the hammer until the latter has nearly completed its stroke, when the jack is disengaged from the hammer-butt and the cord 0 is made to complete the stroke, supporting the whole weight of the hammer. During this latter part of the movement of the hammer it may be readily vibrated, owing to the yielding or flexible connection with the elevating power or lever L.

The disengagement of the jack J from the hammer-butt is effected by the button B, which is made adjustable on the hammer-rail l1, and a: spring or a spring and cord, S, serves to return the jack into its normal position upon the downward movement of the forward end of the I lever L.

The adjustment of the parts is such that the hammer is nearly counterbalanced by the lever L and its attached parts, so that the power exerted by the spring is an inconsiderable one.- If, now, the key K is also nearly counterbalanced upon its pivot, the weight required to bring the parts in their normal position is reduced to a minimum, and, as all parts of the action are made adjustable, this can be regulated with the greatest nicety and precision.

From what has been said above, and by referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the application and operation of the principle in upright pianos will be readily understood without further description.

Another advantage of the arrangement of the devices when applied to square pianos is that the parts may be readily adjusted without removing the key-board, and that the mechanism is devoid of all the usual complications for repetition and is reduced to its greatest simplicity in whatever form of piano it may be employed, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture materially.

I am aware that the lifting power of the key applied to opposite sides of the hammer-fulcrum through the medium of a jack adapted to exert its power on one side of said fulcrum and a secondary connection between said key or devices actuated by said key to exert its power upon the opposite side of the fulcrum is not new, and I do not desire to claim this broadly.

Having now described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. In piano-forte action, the combination, with the hammer and a pivoted support or lever for the lifting-jack arranged to exert its power upon one side of the hammer-fulcrum, of a yielding and adjustable connection between said hammer and pivoted lifting support arranged to exert its power upon the opposite 'ackJ leverL sn-in side of the hammer-fulcrum, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In a piano-forte action, the combination, with a counterbalanced or nearly counterbalanced key, its adjustable lifting-lever, the hammer, and a pivoted lever-support for the jack arranged to exert its power upon one side of the hammer-fulcrum, of an adjustable spring upon said lever-support and a yielding or flexible connection between said spring and hammer arranged to exert its power upon the opposite side of the hammer-fulcrum, substantiaily as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a piano-forte action, the combination, with thejack J, lever L, spring S, and cord 0, of the hammer H, having an extension, A, all constructed and arranged to operate StlbSllELlltiaily as specified.

4. The combination of the hammer H, pro vided with an extension or arm, A, of the lever L, jack J, and the adjustable repetitionspring S and cord 0, all arranged to operate substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with the key K, its liftin g-iever 7. adjustable thereon, and the hammer H, provided with an extension or arm, A, of the lever L, jack J, spring S, and cord 0, all constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with the hammer H, g S, cord 0, and key K, all constructed and arthe of the buttons B B, ranged to operate substantially as and for purpose specified.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of January, 1880.

EDUAItI) \VESTERMAYER.

Witnesses GEORGE LOUBIER, BERTHOLD R01. 

